Wear detection of elevator belt

Abstract

A belt includes one or more tension members extending along a length of the belt, a jacket at least partially enclosing the plurality of tension members, and one or more layers of one or more of a fluorescent, absorbing, or reflecting material located in the belt such that when subjected to a light source, an indication of fluorescence or absorbance or reflection of the one or more layers of fluorescent or absorbent or reflective materials is indicative of a wear condition of the belt.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A belt, comprising:
 one or more tension members extending along a length of the belt; 
 a jacket at least partially enclosing the plurality of tension members; and 
 one or more layers of one or more of a fluorescent material disposed in the belt such that when subjected to a light source, an indication of fluorescence of the one or more layers of fluorescent materials is indicative of a wear condition of the belt. 
 
     
     
       2. The belt of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of fluorescent material are disposed at an outer surface of the jacket. 
     
     
       3. The belt of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of fluorescent material are disposed in an interior of the jacket, between the jacket outer surface and the one or more tension members. 
     
     
       4. The belt of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of fluorescent material are disposed at only one of a traction side or a back side of the belt. 
     
     
       5. The belt of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of fluorescent material are disposed asymmetrically with respect to a belt thickness direction. 
     
     
       6. The belt of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of fluorescent material are disposed one of continuously or discontinuously along a length or a width of the belt. 
     
     
       7. The belt of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more tension members are a plurality of tension members arrayed across a belt width, each tension member including a plurality of wires. 
     
     
       8. The belt of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more tension members comprises a plurality of fibers suspended in a polymer matrix material. 
     
     
       9. The belt of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer matrix material includes one or more fluorescent materials. 
     
     
       10. The belt of  claim 1 , wherein the light source is an ultraviolet light or visible or other light spectrum source. 
     
     
       11. A method of wear detection of a belt comprising:
 emitting light from a light emitter toward a belt of an elevator system; 
 one or more materials of the elevator belt; and 
 detecting a pattern of the fluorescence of the elevator belt, wherein the pattern of fluorescence is indicative of a wear pattern of the belt. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the light source is an ultraviolet (UV) light or visible light or other light spectrum source. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the detecting the pattern of fluorescence is accomplished via a detector. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising detecting the pattern of fluorescence at both a traction side and a back side of the belt. 
     
     
       15. An elevator system, comprising:
 a hoistway; 
 an elevator car disposed in the hoistway; 
 an elevator belt operably connected to the elevator car to suspend and/or drive the elevator car along the hoistway, the elevator belt comprising:
 one or more tension members extending along a length of the belt; 
 a jacket at least partially enclosing the plurality of tension members; and 
 one or more layers of fluorescent materials disposed in the at least one belt; and 
 a wear detection system disposed in the hoistway, comprising:
 a light emitter to direct light at the elevator belt; and 
 a detector configured to detect a pattern of the fluorescence, of the elevator belt, wherein the pattern of fluorescence is indicative of a wear pattern of the belt. 
 
 
 
     
     
       16. The elevator system of  claim 15 , wherein the emitter is configured to emit ultraviolet (UV) or visible or other light spectrum. 
     
     
       17. The elevator system of  claim 15 , wherein the detector is unitary with the emitter. 
     
     
       18. The elevator system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more layers of fluorescent material are disposed at an outer surface of the jacket. 
     
     
       19. The elevator system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more layers of fluorescent material are disposed in an interior of the jacket, between the jacket outer surface and the one or more tension members. 
     
     
       20. The elevator system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more tension members comprises a plurality of fibers suspended in a polymer matrix material.